As my love and I watched CNN International over the restof the sleepless night,we witnessed the second planeplow into the towers,ad saw reports of a thirdsmash into the Pentagon,and a fourth crash into a Pennsylvania field,

Then the towers fell.

7,600 miles away, the night cloakedour rain soaked cabin, as Typhoon Nari sat 37 miles offshore,threatening a third pass. It struck once as a tropical stormand then turned to wallopthe island with 113 mph windsand 13 inches of rain, destroyingOkinawa’s sugar cane crop,darkening 23,000 homes.

The next few days were a blur.“Get reaction!” my editorsfrom Tokyo demanded.

I called Marines, soldiers, airmen, sailors,civilian base workers for their thoughts. I bugged commanders for troop movements,increases in security. What would happenwhen the bases, which cover a fifth of the island,opened after the lockdown for the storm?

We all knew there’d be no return to normal.

“I cried,” a woman from New York,who sold cars on the air base, said. “I used to Swing Dance there every weekon the 108th floor at Windows on the World. I can’t believe it. New York is my home I always thought of it as indestructible.”

“I’m overcome with grief and anger,”said a retired Marine married to an Okinawan. He was preparing for Nari’s third strikewhen he saw a Japanese TV report of the attacks. “This is war. This is another Pearl Harbor.”

“What’s next, World War III?”a percussionist for the Marine Band asked.A corporal from New York, he said hewas about to be discharged and married. “I cancelled both,” he said. “I can’t leave, not now. It may sound crazy, but I can’t quit my countrywith something like this going on.”

A soldier’s wife said she felt safe on Okinawa. “Or at least I did until my husband instructedus on how we have to be careful and waryof any terrorist attacks.”

“I won’t be saying `Have a safe flight,’so lightly anymore,” an Airman said. No one, it turned out, would ever beas free as we were on September 10th.

In South Korea, the military slappeda ban on all off post travel. On Okinawa, cars were no longer waivedthrough the gates if they had base decals. Everyone had to show their IDsand cars were randomly searched.

In the Plaza Housing Areachildren opened a lemonade standto raise money for the rescue workers.

The air base commander announcedhis units were, “Ready to takethe battle – the war – to the terrorists.”

“ Our lives changed dramaticallyon the 11th of September,” he added. “Get used to it!”

Meanwhile, Navy ships departed from Japanese ports and jets took off for undisclosed locations.

And rumors started to spread.

Islamic militants had infiltrated into countriesthroughout the Western Pacific, one Japanese paper reported. “Well before Tuesday’s assault,” another printed, “The United States informed the Japanese governmentthat terrorist action was anticipated.”

Reports from Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan stated Islamists were preparing attacks on U.S. targets. On Sept. 8 in Manila, three men from Oman were detainedafter they were seen in a hotel room videotapingthe nearby U.S. Embassy. They were released. A later search of their room turned up traces of explosives.

There was a new feeling in the air – Fear. Anger.

Late one night I sat outside my cabin,sipped a beer and gazed at the lightsof the harbor below, realizing nothingwould ever be quite the same. I opened my journal and wrote:

9/11

Terrorists took Security away From Americans today.

Now we’re as scared As a bus rider in Jerusalem, A shopkeeper in Derry, A banker in Basque, A Hindu in Kashmir, A Muslim in Serbia.

Now, we’re all scared . Welcome to the terror-ble times.

By David Allen

This is a new poem from my second book of poetry, “(more).”

It is now available on Amazon Kindle. The paperback edition should be available in two weeks. Order your copy today!